23,000 AIDS Patients Untraceable as They Avoid Treatment: Health Minister
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has confirmed that the number of registered AIDS cases in the country has reached 84,000, with 61,000 individuals currently receiving treatment. However, the whereabouts of the remaining 23,000 patients are unknown as they are not seeking treatment.
In a press conference, the federal minister stated that there has not been a sudden increase in HIV cases, but rather a stable trend. He emphasized that AIDS is now treatable, and medications are available for free at government health centers.
The minister also highlighted that while the global rate of HIV cases is 0.5%, Pakistan’s rate is only 0.1%, which is lower than the global average. He explained that, based on population, Pakistan should have around 369,000 HIV cases, but the actual number remains much lower.
Mustafa Kamal also expressed concern over the use of funds for AIDS programs. He revealed that out of the 65 million dollars allocated for AIDS programs, 61.1 million dollars have been given to the United Nations agency and NGOs. However, the Ministry of Health has not been provided with any details regarding the use of these funds. He raised concerns that NGOs are refusing to share this information.
The health minister mentioned that the report of HIV cases in Taunsa dates back to 2024, and there have been no new cases reported from January to April 2026. In Islamabad, 618 HIV cases have been registered, with 208 local cases and 408 cases referred from other regions such as Rawalpindi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir.
Additionally, Federal Health Minister Kamal announced that the government is planning to impose a ban on 10 cc syringes, ensuring that syringes that have been used once will not be reused.
